Tektro Oryx brake question

[Keen but clumsy]

Hello wise people of Cycle Chat,

I have a Ridgeback Voyager tourer with Tektro Oryx brakes. The brakes have never been great but recently are struggling to stop me even though I have recently change the pads. On closer inspection the left front seems to be seized.

I use the bike 3 or 4 times a week for rides from 6 to 40 miles all year round. I live in Leeds and take the bike out in the Dales so it's fairly hilly. Both the front brakes show some sign of corrosion. The pivot on the frame seems fine but the brake unit itself seems to be jammed. Is the only option to buy a new set of brakes? If so, what should I do differently next time to avoid a repeat?

Also, on the frame there are three holes to slot the brake spring into. All advice seems to say use the middle one. Are there any benefits of using the other holes? I've seen one comment that they can be used to increase the braking force but didn't expand on which one to use to achieve that.

Thanks,

KbC

 

[the snail]

Have you taken them apart and greased the pivots? I've got the same bike and there was hardly any grease on the pivots when I got the bike. When you say there is corrosion, which part is corroded? I don't think using the other spring holes will change the braking force, it just changes the spring tension which forces the arms apart. Getting the brakes to work well is a matter of making sure everything is moving freely (pivots and cables) then adjusting so that the pads are as close as possible to the rims, with the pads 'toed in'. The brakes on mine work fine as long as they are properly adjusted, but not very well if the pads are too far from the rims.

 

[Keen but clumsy]

The pivot seems fine, there was some grease on it. I've been to my local bike shop today to get their opinion too. It seems that the internals of the break are "knackered". I could dismantle the unit but their recommendation was to replace and upgrade to Tektro CR720. Given that they didn't stock this and advised getting them off the web I have taken them at their word.

Corrosion was around the bolt holding the unit to the frame. It's probably just cosmetic.

Thanks for your input The Snail.

 

[gwhite]

The pivot seems fine, there was some grease on it. I've been to my local bike shop today to get their opinion too. It seems that the internals of the break are "knackered". I could dismantle the unit but their recommendation was to replace and upgrade to Tektro CR720. Given that they didn't stock this and advised getting them off the web I have taken them at their word.

Corrosion was around the bolt holding the unit to the frame. It's probably just cosmetic.

Thanks for your input The Snail.

Good advice too.

 

[Keen but clumsy]

Thanks gwhite, nice to have a further recommendation.

 

[style over speed]

+1 for the tektro cr 720 or 520 they are very good cantilever brakes, couple them with salmon koolstop pads as well. Dont bother with tektro pads they're terrible. The oryx brakes are odd, on some bikes the spacing works and the braking is actually pretty good but on most it really doesnt at all.

Regarding which hole to put the spring into, it depends which kind of brake lever you are using and adjusts how hard the lever is to pull, if the levers are sloppy try the upper hole and vice versa (I think)

 

[Keen but clumsy]

For info - I have fitted the new CR720 and they have worked a treat (on the middle hole). A great improvement and much easier to adjust/set up. Slight hiccup when they arrived with 4 left brake pads but given the above comment about Tektro pads I guess that isn't a problem!